Beneath the Blood Red Moon
by Akuma-Chibi
Summary: Almost like a reversed life, she goes home to her father and older fraternal twin sister. With memories of the more or less ‘demonic’ past, and now a future with a new family she hadn’t seen since she was only a baby, how will Kagome fair?
1. Memoirs of a Kou

**Beneath the Blood Red Moon**

**Summary: ****The group has finally killed Naraku, but at a price. Many lives were killed, but Kagome's purpose was finished and she was ready to go home. However, when she gets to the well the Lady Midoriko appears, telling Kagome the truth of her origins. Midoriko sends her 'home'. Almost like a reversed life, she goes home to her father and older fraternal twin sister. With memories of the more or less 'demonic' past, and now a future with a new family she hadn't seen since she was only a baby, how will Kagome fair?**

**Anime: InuYasha/Saiunkoku Monogatari**

**Couple: Kagome/Kouyuu**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure/Historical**

**Rated: M (''^o^'')**

**-x-x-x-**

**Memoirs of a Kou**

**-x-x-x-**

Shouka stared up into the sky, his face tired and his heart troubled.

"Father, is something troubling you?" Shouka turned to see his daughter standing behind him with the young banned prince that he had long ago taken in. "Shuurei, Seiran, what have you two been up to?"

"Well, I just got back from work...Seiran picked me up."

"Ah, so protective." He turned back to the sky.

Seiran said nothing, but he looked to Shuurei and shared a glance with her before both looked back to Shouka.

"Father?"

"Shuurei, what do you think it would be like if you had a sister?"

"Eh?!" Shuurei's eyes widened dramatically.

Seiran looked at Shouka agape. "Master Shouka?"

He smiled with his closed eyes looking to his daughter once again. "I was just asking."

"Well...I suppose it would be pretty nice; why do you ask?"

"Curious, I guess." He sighed, "It would have been nice...if you had her..."

"...had her...?" Shuurei was worried for her father, "Had who?"

"Don't you need to get dinner ready? Need any help? I could make the tea."

"NO! Uh...I'll take care of it," Shuurei smiled and took the sleeve of Seiran's top and pulled him along with her to the kitchen.

'_...Shuurei, you are truly my little girl...but never were you the only one...'_

**-x-x-x-**

**(In the past)**

Kagome smiled at the headstones of her lost friends.

Inuyasha, Sango and Sesshoumaru had been the only ones, next to her, to survive. Even Shippou and Rin had been killed. Though, their deaths were the ones most stained in her memory, never to be forgotten.

_**-x-Flashback-x-**_

"_MOMMA~!_

_This had been the voice that had broken her from her daze; the one that had been brought down upon her by the death of Inuyasha and Miroku. Miroku had thrown himself in front of the tentacles that had charged Sango. She now lay unconscious due to the force of the attack; her front drenched in Miroku's blood. Kirara was fending off demons that had cornered her and her mistress. Inuyasha had been back to back with her, and when Kagome had turned around to see how he was doing, she was sprayed with blood, similar to Sango. Inuyasha coughed and had his hand against his chest where a large gash was displayed on the front. Kagome felt tears form in her eyes._

_-x-x-x-_

_(Moments Ago)_

"_K-Kagome..." He fell into her arms and she held him tightly._

"_Inuyasha..."_

"_Hey, d-don't cry. I...don't like the w-way tears smell on...you..."_

_She broke down crying and fell to her knees._

"_Inuyasha...please...don't leave me!"_

"_I won't...I...won~"_

_His hand fell limp and Kagome fell into a daze._

_-x-x-x-_

"_MOMMA!"_

_Kagome's head shot up at the sound of Shippou's cry; she stared in horror as Naraku ran a tentacle across Shippou's cheek._

"_Poor little kit, your mother is too preoccupied with the dead, to care about the living. Don't worry, she'll notice you soon enough."_

"_NOOOO~!" Kagome cried as Naraku's tentacle wrapped around Shippou's waist and pulled. She looked on in horror as Shippou's head was just pulled from his neck. "NO! SHIPPOU!!!" She cried, her body glowed brightly in anger. Sesshoumaru arrived a moment later in a similar rage._

"_Miko! This Sesshoumaru will kill the spider hanyou!"_

"_You will not!" She moved before Sesshoumaru. "I will have his HEAD for what he's done to my son!"_

"_...so be it...but if you fail to prove a worthy opponent...then—"_

"_You'll take over; I figured as much. But when I'm through with him, there will be nothing left!" Her eyes shined bright pink, narrowed in a deadly way._

_Sesshoumaru glanced to her son and understood why her temper had gotten out of control. He himself had trained her, and knew that Inuyasha was the only one who could really irritate her, but never like this. He had pushed her to her limits, day after day, and she always came back for more training, never complaining. He knew her stamina and knew she could take this hanyou. 'You had better kill him, Kagome.'_

_Kagome walked in a slow lethal pace, her eyes never straying from her prey. She watched as his eyes seemed to laugh at the sight before him, his lips quirked into a sick grin._

"_Naraku...I will send you back to the depths of hell that you were born; that, I promise!" She pulled Tsukihime from her sheath and charged the demon at a speed he hadn't known she had. "DIE NARAKU!" She cut through multiple tentacles and listened to his pained cries as pure sacred energy flowed from her blade through each wound she inflicted upon him._

"_Damn human wench!" He grabbed her by the throat and watched her legs kick out at him. Her grip weakened on the hilt of her blade and he smiled wickedly and let his grip tighten around her throat._

"_Ack!" She saw the image of her sons' discarded body flash before her eyes and her lose grip on the blade tightened as she thrust it into his throat; the blood covered blade could be seen sticking out on the other side of Naraku who stared in shock and dread at the turn of events. "Go to hell...Naraku!" She shot a blast of her energy through the blade and fell to the ground as his hand was disintegrated right before her eyes along with the rest of his body. The remainder of the Shikon fell to the blood stained earth next to her. Kagome looked at the jewel before she let sleep take her._

_**-x-End-x-Flashback-x-**_

Kagome brushed away her stray tears and made her way back to the abandoned hut. According to Sesshoumaru, he too had seen his child...or at least, the human girl that he claimed a ward but thought of as a daughter...killed in front of him. Yes, she had seen the battered body of the little girl and had cried her heart out for the two little children whom both had lost their lives in a battle that wasn't theirs.

"Miko..."

"Hm? Oh, Sesshoumaru-Sama," She looked at Sesshoumaru who was standing before the empty hut in front of her.

"Where will you go now?"

"...home..."

"Then, I will see you again. Stay alive."

"I should say that to you; I hop down a well and I'm home; you on the other hand actually have to live through five hundred years to see me again."

"..."

"Hehe, sorry Sesshoumaru, I won't say anything next time."

"I will find you,"

"Then, I will see you later."

Sesshoumaru nodded and started to walk past her, only stopping for a moment to place his hand on her sword, "Don't forget us, Kagome...wherever you go, don't forget."

Kagome felt the weight lift from her sword and turned to watch her teacher walk away, for the last time. She sighed once he was out of sight and grabbed her yellow bag. She was dressed in pair of regular clothes that she had worn from her time. A simple red long sleeved top and a pair of black slacks with sandals on her feet.

She had returned to her time to let her mom know they had one then came back to dig the places for which her friends would rest eternally, until they were born again, with new friends, new family's and a new...future...one without her...

Kagome made her way to the well, for her last journey through time. _"Goodbye..."_ She whispered softly.

"_**You can't leave, you haven't even said hello yet."**_

"Ah!?" Kagome turned, her hand clutching the hilt of her blade impulsively. Right before her eyes was a woman in a white, violet, blue kimono with red hemming the bottom, sleeves and the neck line of the Kimono. She had a faint light violet glow around her ivory skin and raven black knee length hair. Her eyes were a dimly lit doe brown and her smile was pure and real. "Who are you?!" Kagome asked; her voice firm due to the battle she had just got through with.

"_**...You know me, Kagome."**_

"I've never met you...ah..." Kagome thought back to a statue she had seen once at the beginning of her journey. "M-Midoriko..."

"_**...Kagome...you gave half of the Shikon to Sesshoumaru, why is that?"**_

"...with half, one can receive strength...with the entire jewel...one can make a wish. I thought about it for a while, and decided, that if something were to happen and the jewel fell into someone's hand, I'd rather they only have half, and not all. I'm sorry, if you wanted something else..."

"_**You are the Shikon's protector...not I. If you believe this is for the best...then I will trust you, the way Sesshoumaru does."**_

"Thank you."

"_**...don't thank me yet. Kagome, it's time for you to return home."**_

"I was heading that way."

"_**No, I don't mean five hundred years into the future...I mean, back to your home, two hundred and sixty-seven years in the future."**_

Kagome frowned, "...What?"

"_**Kagome, when you were little, barely even a year old, I came to you after being locked away in the Shikon; not in body did I come, but in Spirit. Of course, you would never remember, but Kagome, I met with Shouka and Shokun."**_

"...who?"

"_**Shouka, your father, and Shokun, your mother."**_ Midoriko watched as Kagome's face grew nervous and uneasy. _**"I asked for their youngest daughter."**_

"But...why? Why!? Why would you take me from my family!?"

"_**Don't yell, Kagome. I asked and the declined. But when I explained a future that was to befall their daughter if I didn't..."**_

"A future that would befall...?"

"_**Had you not come to the past, Naraku would have found you upon your fifteenth birthday, the day you fell down the well, five hundred years in the future. I had seen the fate that would fall all across Saiunkoku, your family and the rest of China."**_

"China?"

"_**Yes, you are from Saiunkoku, your family resides in the Imperial City of Kiyo. Kagome, you were destined to be a hero...and return a hero. If you had stayed, you would have died, along with the rest of your family. So I took you and brought you to a time you'd be safe, until the time you would save the future. I had sealed the well until your fifteenth birthday and then...I let your future unveil its own destination for you, until it was all over, and I could finally return you to your home."**_

"So, all this time...then...mothe— I mean...Rei Higurashi...who is that?"

"_**Your mother as much as the woman who birthed you. She raised you and took care of you when she found you in the well. Actually, that was why your grandfather placed all those seals and that board on the well, they suspected you were a child of the gods when the found you wrapped in silken robes from Ancient China. They feared that you would leave them one day, so the man who helped raise you, came up with the idea and your grandfather went through with it."**_

"I see...so...what is my name?"

"_**Don't worry, it's still Kagome. Kagome Kou is your name. Your family, in China, is the most powerful and influential family...if I remember correctly."**_

"...is that so..." She didn't know how much more information she could handle. She wasn't a computer; she didn't have an endless memory depository to store all of this. She was running out of room and was close to a headache. "Then tell me, what about the family I grew up with?"

"_**I will pay a visit to them tonight while they have fallen asleep. For now, I think it's time you go back home. Your father must miss you dearly."**_

"What about my mother?"

"_**...she died when you were about five."**_

"...like my father...or, my other father..."

"_**Yes, they died on the same day. However, you don't have a brother; you do have a sister though."**_

"I do?"

"_**Yes, you were twins, but she's older by a few minutes."**_

"Midoriko...I want to go home..." Kagome looked to Midoriko with tears in her eyes. "Please, please take me home!" She ran into the arms of Midoriko and the woman smiled and held her tightly.

"_**Alright dear,"**_

'_I want to see...my family...'_

Seconds after the thought had passed, they were gone. Midoriko had set off through time on another timeless travel, to return the daughter, she had taken.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Yes, I know; another Saiunkoku Monogatari/InuYasha crossover! LOVE ME! This one isn't a challenge though; it's for a reviewer who wanted a Kagome/Kouyuu pairing. So, I dedicate this story to ****Sinistera of the Akatsuki. Hope you all enjoy, please Read and Review and Please Regard me Kindly! ^_^''**


	2. Home Is Where the Spirit is!

**Beneath the Blood Red Moon**

**Summary: The group has finally killed Naraku, but at a price. Many lives were killed, but Kagome's purpose was finished and she was ready to go home. However, when she gets to the well the Lady Midoriko appears, telling Kagome the truth of her origins. Midoriko sends her 'home'. Almost like a reversed life, she goes home to her father and older fraternal twin sister. With memories of the more or less 'demonic' past, and now a future with a new family she hadn't seen since she was only a baby, how will Kagome fair?**

**Anime: InuYasha/Saiunkoku Monogatari**

**Couple: Kagome/Kouyuu**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure/Historical**

**Rated: M (''^o^'')**

**-x-x-x-**

**Home Is Where the Spirit is!**

**-x-x-x-**

Kagome had immediately felt the warm embrace of the sun that hung high above her. She enjoyed this feeling, and was happy to have it, but still...she felt uneasy being _home_...

She turned and faced Midoriko.

"Lady Midoriko, what do I say? 'Hi, I'm the daughter that you sent to the future to save the past that would save our future. How have you been?'...I don't know about you, but that just doesn't seem like the worlds greatest greeting."

"_**Hehe, Kagome dear, you worry too much; and over the silliest of things."**_

"It isn't silly!"

"_**Of course it isn't, I'm sorry. I suppose what I meant to say was; you will know the right words when you see your family, so don't fret over it."**_

"..." Kagome frowned, "What if he doesn't wan't me?"

"_**Kagome! Your father is a respectable, loving, kind and honorable man; he would never abandon his daughter!" **_She bonked Kagome on the head for even letting the idea cross her mind.

"Ouch! Okay, okay...but...don't you think I stand out in this time?"

"_**Hmm?"**_ She glanced down at Kagome's modern time clothing and chuckled. _**"I guess it will be proof of your story."**_

"Wait! Aren't you telling him?"

"_**Huh? Me? Of course not! You have a voice of your own, it's time you start using it! I can't lead you anymore than I already have; it's time for you to take control of your own future, your own way."**_

"I understand."

"_**...good; then it's time I go."**_ Midoriko stepped before Kagome and pointed to a large wall and wooden double door entrance. _**"That is the Kou Residence. Now keep in mind, you her home close to the Imperial Palace, so you'll se many oddities happening, avoid being conspicuous. Also, see if Shouka will bring you some books to read from the Archives."**_

"Can't I go get them myself?"

"_**Ah...well about that. You see, woman can't enter the Imperial Palace unless the Emperor requests it themselves or they are apart of the Emperor's Harem. This is China, Kagome; not Japan, the laws are different."**_

"Not by too much; woman were not aloud to do much of anything for quite a while in Japan too. I will learn, hopefully I can stay out of trouble until I do."

"_**I am sure you'll figure something out."**_

"I'm sure,"

"_**I must be on my way, take care, Kagome."**_

Kagome watched as Midoriko bowed to her and faded away. Kagome blinked some tears away before bowing to nothing, "Goodbye Lady Midoriko..." She stood up straight and let her hand wander to her hilt; a since of reassurance built deep within her. _'I can do this...'_ She straightened up and walked forward towards the doors that had been pointed out to her by Midoriko. The walls were wearing and the roof looked to be falling apart. It wasn't unbearable though, but it could use some work. She walked through the large gate doors and followed the stone pathway up to the front door. Or should she say, the front slide screen rice paper door.

'_This is in-between the future and the past, obviously...but please...tell me that they at least have showers...or a bathtub would even do.' _She knocked close to the screen door and waited patiently. She could hear footsteps from behind the screen and closed her eyes nervously.

The door slid open and she kept her eyes shut. "Uh...may I help you?"

She heard a young mans voice and opened her eyes. "Oh, uh...i-is there a...Kou Shouka that lives here?"

"...yes, please come in. I will inform him that he has a visitor."

"I...I'm not a visitor."

"Oh? Who are you?"

"M-My name?" Kagome suddenly recalled the words Midoriko told her only seconds ago. _**'You have a voice of your own, it's time you start using it!'**_ She straightened up and pushed her nervousness and anxiety out of her before speaking. Her voice strong and full of pride; though for what...she wasn't sure yet, but she would find out soon. "My name is Kou Kagome; I am the youngest daughter of Kou Shouka!" She said boldly. The young man before her froze and his eyes widened. Now that she looked at him, she remembered Midoriko told her that she didn't have a brother, so the boy was a mystery to her. He had a platinum shade of long hair that fell past his shoulders a bit and teal eyes that were currently wide in shock and uncertainty; but what drew her attention to him the most were the calluses adorning his hands, no doubt from training with a sword. Yes, his hands resembled her own, only hers were less obvious.

"I...I see, please follow me." He opened the screen door wider and she stepped in. Closing the door behind her, he motioned her into a waiting room before closing a screen door and moving to find Shouka.

Kagome sighed and sat down. Patiently, she waited for her _father_ to arrive.

"_Now, Seiran, calm down. Are you sure you heard her right?"_

Kagome heard a few minutes later. The voice sounded kind, and humor was laced within his words, which worried her. She was afraid that he would take her as a joke, or perhaps a liar. Maybe he wouldn't even acknowledge her as that, or he would have her removed at first glance, or―

"Oh, well hello. Seiran wasn't lying, you really do resemble Shokun. At least that explains why he believes you so much."

"Well, do you mind if I ask you something first, to clear this up." He smiled and sat down across from her. Seiran watched from the doorway, not sure what to make of his guardians words.

"What do you mean?"

"If you are my daughter, then tell me...what have you been doing away from home?"

'_If...!'_

"You should know. I was living in the future, in Japan, during a time more advanced then this. You gave me to a woman named Midoriko when I was only a baby, or so she says. I was fifteen when I fell down a well and back in time five hundred years. Then I started an adventure with some oddities that I came to love and adore, searching for the fragments of a powerful jewel called the Shikon no Tama; trying to get it before a spiteful demon named Naraku did. Had he achieved the complete jewel, he would have wished for the entire human races' extinction to be carried out for years to come, through terror, horror, pain and anxiety. Fear would have enveloped the world and darkness would have embellished the future; this day would have never seen the light of day, but rather the flames of hell."

The mans closed eyes gave way to a tear, "...Ka-Kagome..."

Seiran was stalk still._ 'He couldn't mean...this girl...is telling the truth?!'_

Shouka moved to the side of her and embraced her in a hug. Kagome wasn't sure why, but her heart suddenly compressed at the feel of his strong arms around her. Her own, trembling arms, wound themselves around him as she hid her face in his shoulder. _"This...is real?"_ She asked in a quiet voice. _"Daddy..."_ The word was foreign, she had never really had the chance to use it. "Daddy!" She cried out, tears falling from her eyes. "I don't want to leave again, I want to stay here!"

"Don't worry, I won't let you go anyway. My little girl is home. Now, Shuurei can finally meet her little sister, again."

"..." Kagome let her father rub soothing circles on her back while he held her until her eyes fell heavily shut and sleep took her.

"Seiran, could you retrieve Shuurei for me. Don't tell her about this; just tell her that it's important."

He bowed, "Yes, Master-Shouka." He left with the objective of retrieving Shouka's other and oldest daughter.

'_My Kagome, I'm so happy. My one regret...is that Shokun couldn't be here to see you too.'_

He pulled her into his lap and leaned against the wall, hugging his youngest. He didn't want to let go, afraid that she would disappear from his life once more.

**-x-x-x-**

Shuurei sighed; it was so weird for her to be back working as a teacher. Not that she could complain, but she really wished she could be back at the palace. She was worried for Ryuuki; of course, it still irked her that he pretended to be oblivious and played a 'foolish prince'. Yeah, that annoyed her, but he did save her life and put his fear of the dark behind him for her...and, well...she still wanted to be there, and cheering him on from the side and watching him progress from afar. Even if all she did was say small things like 'give it you best' or 'keep up the good work' she wanted to encourage him, somehow.

"My Lady, your father has requested me to get you."

"Eh!? But Seiran, I'm in the middle of class!"

"Nai Sensei, we will be alright."

"Touka-Chan,"

"Yeah, I'll keep an eye on everyone until you get back Shuurei-Sensei!"

"Hm, alright then. Ryuushin-Kun, Touka-Chan, I'll leave you two in charge, everyone behave and continue with the lesson. I will be back soon to see your progress."

"**Hai, Shuurei-Sensei!"**

She smiled before leaving her class. She walked over to a nearby shop and asked the owner to keep an eye on the school room while she was gone before continuing on with Seiran.

"What does father need?"

"...I will let him tell you, it isn't my place."

She frowned, _'Is it bad?'_

Seiran looked deep in thought and it worried her. What had him so focused and dazed at the same time?

**-x-x-x-**

Seiran opened the door for Shuurei and the first thing that caught her eyes was her father embracing some woman she had never seen before. The second thing that caught her attention was that the woman was asleep and the third thing to catch her eyes was...she was no older then herself.

"...Father?"

"Shuurei, please take a seat. I have something important that I have long since needed, yet avoided, to tell you."

Nervously, Shuurei sat down across from Shouka, Seiran followed suit, hoping to get more insight into the story he had vaguely learned of.

"Firstly, to understand what I am about to say, you must first know who this girl is."

"..."

"Her name is Kagome, Kou Kagome. She is my youngest daughter, and your younger twin sister."

Shuurei's eyes widened in shock; was this possible?

"I and your mother, only eight months after yours and your sisters birth, were visited by a beautiful woman who spoke of an issue that needed to be resolved. She told us that the youngest of our daughters was meant for a future in another time, another place, where she would be a great hero. She asked for us to give her pur youngest, and we declined."

"..." Shuurei was still getting over the fact that she had a younger twin sister, but still she listened.

"However, she had brightly shined with a violet hue and spoke of the destruction that would be brought down upon our family, our friends, our world, if Kagome didn't go with her to fulfill her chosen future. So, with great reluctance, we gave the woman, the Lady Midoriko, our youngest daughter. We prayed for her safe return, day in and day out, but still, we feared that we would never see her again, so we kept it to ourselves. Now however, she is home and I have no intention of letting her go again. I can only hope that you will find it in yourself, to forgive me, and welcome her. She was destined to be a hero...and return a hero. Something similar to that was told to us by Lady Midoriko, but I could care less now that she's home. I just don't want to lose her again."

"...where...where di this 'Lady Midoriko' take her?" Shuurei asked, her eyes trained on the sleeping girl, or 'Kagome'.

"I myself am unsure, but I believe details can be discussed later, when she has settled in. Seiran, I was hoping that you could explain the rules and guidelines of this era to her. She didn't grow up with our lifestyle, so I thought it would help. Shuurei, do you think you could let her join you on a couple of your daily activities; let her get to know her home and its surrounding area?"

"Sure, but is that alright? How does she feel about all of this? I, for my part, am still trying to comprehend these details. I'm trying to understand why now of all times she's here, and not before. What could have hindered her return for fifteen and a half years? Where was she? What perilous past did she have to endure, to save our future?" Shuurei sighed, "I suppose I can ask those questions later, for now...let's get her in bed."

"Let me My Lady," Seiran moved to Kagome and picked her up from his Guardians lap. "Should we decide which room to give her, permanently?"

"There is one next to mine that's not being used." Shuurei said, opening the door for Seiran and her father. "It has a bad in there, but no blankets or sheets. I'll go get those ready on the bed, if you can hold out a moment longer, Seiran."

"It's no problem. Your...sister is light. However, Master Shouka, could you please remove her sword, it's rather uncomfortable."

Shouka smiled, "Right," He stepped forward and started to remove the sheath from her sash.

"I am surprised she has one, but can she use it?" Shuurei asked.

Seiran glanced at the blade, "I'd like to find out."

Shouka paused in removing the blade and bopped Seiran on the head, "You will not bother her in hopes to see her draw her blade," He went back to untying the sash from the sword.

Shuurei left to retrieve the blankets, leaving the two with the family's newest addition.

**-x-x-x-**

'_These arms, they are not his...warm, yes...but not his.' _Kagome felt movement on her side and her instincts kicked in. Her hand reached for her hilt and her eyes opened. She knocked the arms holding her away and landed crouched down on the floor with her sword drawn. She moved swiftly away, distancing herself from the young man. She got a good look at who she was about to strike and stood up straight, returning her blade into her sheath before bowing apologetically. "I'm sorry. I thought...I didn't know who was holding me, forgive me for my assertiveness."

"It's my fault, I should have kept you with me, and carried you myself. This is Seiran, and..."

"I set the bed up, you can bring her―" Kagome looked next to her where a girl her age stood. "She woke up?"

"And this is Shuurei. She is your older sister...by four minutes."

"Wow, a whole four minutes." Kagome smiled, "It's nice to meet you, Shuurei-San."

"Shuurei, just Shuurei." Shuurei smiled.

For the first time in a long time, Kagome felt...whole...she felt complete. She felt more completed then when Kikyou had died and given her the rest of her soul back. Yes, this was her home. This warmth that filled her body, heart and soul...it was the spirit that she had left behind; the spirit that linked her to this era, this country...and her home.

'_I'm home...'_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: I hope you all enjoyed this next chapter, Please Read and Review and I'll update soon! Please Regard Me Kindly! ^_^''**


	3. A New Chance at Life

**Beneath the Blood Red Moon**

**Summary: The group has finally killed Naraku, but at a price. Many lives were killed, but Kagome's purpose was finished and she was ready to go home. However, when she gets to the well the Lady Midoriko appears, telling Kagome the truth of her origins. Midoriko sends her 'home'. Almost like a reversed life, she goes home to her father and older fraternal twin sister. With memories of the more or less 'demonic' past, and now a future with a new family she hadn't seen since she was only a baby, how will Kagome fair?**

**Anime: InuYasha/Saiunkoku Monogatari**

**Couple: Kagome/Kouyuu**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure/Historical**

**Rated: M (''^o^'')**

**-x-x-x-**

**A New Chance at Life**

**-x-x-x-**

**(A Week Later)**

Kagome stared at the two young men that stood before her. Ri Kouyuu and Ran Shuuei. Both were introduced to her and were now eating at the table. Another young man named Ensei had been found that morning passed out in front of the Kou family mansion, and was now eating with them too. Apparently he and Seiran had been close friends in the past. She had yet to tell them that she was the younger twin sister of Shuurei, but the one with the light sea foam teal hair and gray/blue eyes hadn't taken his eyes from her since they sat down.

"Uh...Shuurei, you said these two worked in the Imperial Palace, correct?"

"Yes, that's right."

"What do they do?"

Ran Shuuei smiled charmingly, "I am the General of the Shaorin army, and this one next to me who doesn't seem capable of blinking...is the Vice-Secretary of the Civil Affairs department."

"Those are some pretty high standings. I will assume that with those great titles come even greater responsibilities. Sounds taxing...yet you two look as if you handle your strenuous lifestyles rather well."

"Yes, you get used to it after a while."

Kagome nodded in understanding. "Yes, I know what you mean."

"Who are you?" Kouyuu asked.

"Oh," Kagome smiled nervously. "I..."

"She's my younger sister."

Kouyuu and Shuuei stared in surprise at Shuurei who sat down next to Kagome.

"She just came home from a very long...journey. I hope that she will be able to tell me of her adventures soon."

Kagome looked down at the food in front of her, placing her chopsticks down carefully beside her plate. "There is nothing worth telling. People lived...and many more died...that's all..." She stood and excused herself, her eyes turning sullen from the topic.

"I think I've upset her." Shouka face took on a look of distraught.

"She needs time, father. Give her time. I think right now...what she wants more then anything is to forget...if only for a while."

Shuuei and Kouyuu looked at each other before Kouyuu spoke up. Already had they explained the situation of the heat causing the men at the palace to faint, and they had requested the help of Seiran who had accepted rather reluctantly. Now, he had one more request.

"Shuurei, there is a favor I would like to ask of you. That is, if you don't mind."

"Eh? What is it? Do you want me to fight off bandits too? I don't know how much help I'd be." She smiled.

Shouka looked to the door where he knew his youngest listened from behind. But almost undetectable; he was worried...he didn't want to not trust her...but...he knew little nothing about her.

"Shuurei, would you like to work in the imperial council for about a month. At least until we get through this dry spell."

**-x-x-x-**

Kagome listened to the young man with the piercing gray/blue eyes go on about the condition of the Imperial Palace. The door opened and she looked up to see Ran Shuuei standing there with a smile.

Turning abruptly, she walked off and he followed after. "Slow down," He called out. "I had a question for you too."

"...hmn?" She slowed and looked to the man, "What kind of question?"

"We are down assistants, like you heard...would you be willing to help?"

"What can I do?"

"Help Shuurei with whatever you can. You will learn the palace soon enough, and then you will be able to branch off of her and continue helping."

"...women aren't aloud in the palace though."

"Well, that may be, but with a few modifications..."

"You mean cross-dressing."

"...well...that's a new term, but yes."

"...fine...I'll do it, to help Shuurei."

He smiled, "Then we will see you tomorrow."

"..." Kagome turned and walked away from the man, returning herself to her room where she saw her blade leaning against the wall. _'I do hope they don't think I'm going to just sit back and let the __**men**__ have all the fun.'_ She pulled out a black cloak from her closet and started modifying it into a head piece. _'No...I refuse to sit by idly and do nothing,'_

**-x-x-x-**

Shouka watched Shuuei walk back in and smiled. "What did she say?"

"...fine."

"Hehe," Shuurei smiled, "Give her some time and she'll come around. Say, Kouyuu, do you think that you could help both of us study?"

"Hmn? Sure,"

Seiran smiled at his Ladyship, _'I hope everything works out in the future.'_

The night passed by quickly enough, but Shouka still worried for his youngest. After Shuuei and Kouyuu left, Seiran and Shuurei turned in for the night. Shouka went to check on youngest.

"Kagome?"

"_..."_

He hears the shuffling of fabric and smiled, _'She must be tired.'_

**-x-x-x-**

Kagome finished getting dressed in a pair of black bukabuka zubon pants, a black Gi and the black cloak which now also had a black hood and mask to cover her face.

'_Hmn?'_ She looked to her window where she heard the sound of footsteps. Quickly moving to the window, she watched Ensei hop the wall before she followed suit and jumping from her own window. She followed after the rugged young man with the long staff and made it in time to see a group of men come after him.

"It's him! Get him!"

Kagome heard a bandit cry out as they attacked Ensei. She jumped so that she landed on the other side of Ensei, pulling out her sword she began attacking the many bandits that were after the man behind her.

"I see I have aid in my battle." Ensei said with a smile.

"..." She elbowed a bandit coming from behind and smashed the hilt of her sword into another ones jaw.

"What, can't speak?"

"..." She ignored him and noticed the many more oncoming bandits, but noticed something else. _'...demons?!'_

Joining the group were lesser demons. Bandits were now the least of their worries.

"Hey!" She called to Ensei who smirked when she spoke.

"So you do talk, you sound familiar," He slammed his staff into the man behind him. "You sound cute too!"

"Not the time!" She jumped over the bandits and blocked the oncoming demons from getting to them. "Forget the bandits...we have bigger problems."

He turned and so did the bandits. When they saw the monstrous beings make their way towards them, the bandits scattered, leaving Ensei and Kagome alone with the demons.

"What the hell are those!?"

"Demons, but they aren't that bad. Don't worry though, you can get away, they won't notice. They are no doubt...after me." She stepped back once and pulled her blade in front of her.

"Sorry sweet heart, but you helped me out..." He moved next to her and brought his staff down before him. "Now it's my turn to help you."

"How considerate, don't blame me if you get ripped in two." She charged and jumped high into the air, twisting her body around to land on the demons back before plunging her sword through his head. She began to fall with the now dead demon; pulling her sword free, she jumped off of the demons back and looked to see Ensei whacking demons of his own.

"You can't just hit them, you have to kill them!"

"I kind of figured as much!" She kicked a demon in the head heard and she winced at the sound of its neck snapping.

"Yeah, like that." She gasped in surprise when a clawed hand tore her cloak off of her and grazed her left shoulder with three of its claws, but just barely. "Damn!"

"You okay?" Ensei asked, not turning to see what had happened, to busy with one of the last demons, only three were left.

"Y-yeah! I'm fine," She swiped her blade across the chest of the demon, her sword laced in her miko energy. She listened as an ear piercing cry escaped the demon and it disintegrated right before her eyes. "...just fine." She turned and rushed to Ensei's side; taking out on of the now last two demons, leaving only one left. Ensei and Kagome both charged the demon and with a strike into the demons' juggernaut and a slash down the face of the demon, it fell backwards, lifeless.

"Hey sweet heart, how about an explanation?" He called out to Kagome who went around stabbing each demon with her miko energy laced blade, watching them turn to nothing but shavings and bone dust.

"It's not important."

"How do you figure!?" He moved closer to her, "Demon creatures are after some unknown girl, which means more will come, and what if they get to Saiunkoku, or the Imperial Palace!?"

"I KNOW!" She said angrily, turning to face the man behind her. His eyes widened and he looked at her tear stained face. "Do you think I don't realize what will happen if they get to Saiunkoku?! I realize, and that's why, I will do what ever I can to protect Saiunkoku. But more important than that, I need to protect the Emperor..."

"Kagome..."

Her eyes widened and she finally realized that she no longer wore her hood and mask. Taking a step back words, she fell, accidently tripping over a stone. Ensei moved quickly to her side, in order to check if she was alright.

"You got hurt," He tore some of the cloak next to them and wrapped it tightly around her shoulder where three thin bloody lines wrapped around to her shoulder blade. Kagome sighed, she hadn't expected demons; now, even more then before, she was glad to have come. "So, what the hell were you doing to those things?"

"For the time being, I would like to keep this quiet, so I was purifying all traces of them. You can talk to Seiran about what you saw, but leave me out of it. If people found out...it would cause many problems. For now, I need to quietly found a way to keep the kids and safe. These types of demons feast on children."

"Ah, great," Ensei took her smaller hand and stood up, pulling her with him. "Well, shall we head back?"

"Mm," She nodded and turned back to the Kou Mansion where she started running home. Ensei followed quickly behind and both ran to their respective rooms before climbing in and changing. Kagome removed the makeshift bandage and cleaned her wound before rewrapping it with bandages and falling back onto her bed. She closed her eyes and with her final thoughts being on the demons and how she would go about saving this era that she had already worked so hard to save; she let sleep claim her.

**-x-x-x-**

The next morning Shuurei sat at the table with Ensei, Seiran and Shouka, all waiting for Kagome who didn't seem to be waking up anytime soon.

"I'll go wake her up," Shuurei said, standing with refinement, she turned and headed to her sisters room to wake her.

"Kagome?" She called through the door, knocking three times. When she got no answer, she opened the door quietly and peaked in, when she saw no one, she through the door open before taking off in a run to the dining room. "KAGOME'S GONE!"

Seiran, Ensei and Shouka looked to Shuurei.

"Don't worry so much, she can take care of herself." Ensei said.

Shouka looked down before standing, "That may be, but I would like to verify her well being."

Seiran nodded and pulled Ensei up, causing him to almost drop his bowl of rice. Ensei sighed and placed the bowl down. "Alright, lets go look."

It was about ten minutes later, they found Kagome in the yard, dressed in three Chinese robes, similar to Shuurei, only in, the first layer white, the second layer a deep green and the third and outer layer was a pretty royal blue. The white was touching the ground obviously, the green went past her knees and stopped a foot from the ground and the blue stopped just past her hips. Her obi had green and black designs hemming it, but the obi itself was silver. Then a green bow on her back and a white silk shoulder wrap. Her hair was up in two braids that looped on either side of her head. She held in her hand her Tsukihime, bringing it down with hard strikes and thrusting it forward with smooth and constant slashes.

"There, didn't I tell you she was alive and well."

Kagome gave no acknowledgement that she heard them, but then, Ensei, Seiran and Shouka could clearly see that her mind was elsewhere, in obviously deep thought as she trained.

"Wonder what's going through her mind." Seiran said, mostly to himself.

Ensei looked at Shouka and Ensei from the side of his eyes and back to the girl who was using her left hand to hold the hilt of her sword, and her left arm to deliver the blows. _'Her right shoulder must be sore from last night,'_

"Hey, sw-eh...little miss, don't you think you should be getting dressed?" He mentally kicked himself when he almost called her _sweet heart_. _'That would be a good way to get on Seiran's bad side...not mentioning how Shouka would react.'_

Kagome stopped in mid thrust and turned around to see Ensei, her father, Seiran and Shuurei watching her. Shuurei was already dressed as a boy and the other three just seemed to be waiting to see her and Shuurei off. "I'll go get dressed, it won't take me long." She sheathed her sword and walked back to her room. Removing the robes along with everything else she was wearing, she pulled on a pair of bukabuka zubon pants, only they were a beige. She looked down at her chest wrap mentally sighed. _'This is going to take some time to get used to. Even though I spent a lot of time in the Feudal Era, I always had some clothes and most importantly, undergarments from the future. So I didn't have to worry about wrapping myself up.'_

She made sure that her chest was wrapped up before dressing in her robes, so that she didn't need to deal with it later. Now she had her chest wrapped to the point that she looked like she had a nicely toned chest in boys clothing. She pulled on a long-sleeved Gi in green and wrapped it with a maroon sash. She wore a pair of the shoes and tabi socks given to her by Shuurei. She looked at her hair and frowned, _'After all the effort I took into putting it up, maybe I should just cut it...'_

"No..." She removed the ribbons holding her hair in the loops and let the braids out of there tight yet simple design. She pulled her hair into a high bun and looked at the fabric on her desk that was used to keep it neat. _'...how...do I use this?' _She sighed and grabbed the fabric and ribbon before leaving her room. "Shuurei..." She called out.

"Yes?"

Kagome sighed, "Could you help me?"

Shuurei looked to the hand Kagome held out and smiled. "Sure, sit down for me." Kagome nodded and sat before Shuurei.

Shuurei wrapped the fabric around Kagome's bun and used a ribbon to tie it in place, then tilted the bow to the side so to distinguish it from the more feminine tie up. "There."

"Thank you."

"It's really no problem," Shuurei and Kagome walked to the door and said their farewells. Getting halfway down the road when Ensei suddenly called out.

"Hey! Wait up princess, little miss!"

"Huh?" The two turned to him before continuing forward to the Imperial Palace.

Kagome walked silently compared to the other two, something she had, more or less, picked up from Sesshoumaru during her training with him. "So, I take it you are coming with us Ensei?"

"Yeah, Seiran say's I need to protect the two young Lady's."

"I see," Kagome stopped in front of the Imperial doors. _'What am I doing...I'm not cut out to be an assistant to some royal pain in the ass...'_ She smirked, "Pun intended."

"What was that?" Shuurei asked,

"Oh! Uh, nothing. Hehe," She took the edge of Shuurei's sleeve and let her older sister lead her through the Imperial Grounds where they met Kouyuu.

"Ah, you are here. I'll show you to the Department of Treasury and Taxation. Please follow me."

The two girls nodded, and once more, they took another step closer to an unknown future.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: I hope you enjoy, I'm updating When You're Strange next, so keep a look out and Review for me! ^_^'' Please Regard Me Kindly!!!**


	4. Day One: Beneath a Mask of Mystery

**Beneath the Blood Red Moon**

**Summary: The group has finally killed Naraku, but at a price. Many lives were killed, but Kagome's purpose was finished and she was ready to go home. However, when she gets to the well the Lady Midoriko appears, telling Kagome the truth of her origins. Midoriko sends her 'home'. Almost like a reversed life, she goes home to her father and older fraternal twin sister. With memories of the more or less 'demonic' past, and now a future with a new family she hadn't seen since she was only a baby, how will Kagome fair?**

**Anime: InuYasha/Saiunkoku Monogatari**

**Couple: Kagome/Kouyuu**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure/Historical**

**Rated: M (''^o^'')**

**-x-x-x-**

**Day One: Beneath a Mask of Mystery**

**-x-x-x-**

Kagome was in awe at the Imperial Palace, but more than that, the gardens. Gorgeous lush trees and bushes, flowers and falling leaves...she couldn't take her eyes off of the plum blossoms, the white petals that faded into a bright yellow towards the center.

"_Gorgeous..."_

Kouyuu, Ensei and Shuurei stopped to see what had caught her attention.

"Have you never seen Plum Blossoms Kagome?" Kouyuu asked.

"Mm, no I haven't. I have only seen Japanese Cherry Blossoms and Peach Blossoms, but Plum Blossoms are...foreign to me."

"I see,"

"Hey, Kouyuu?"

Kouyuu looked to Shuurei, "Yes?"

"Well, it's just..."

Ensei sighed. "We were supposed to be at the Department of Treasury and Taxation an hour ago...where are you taking us?" Ensei asked with a slight tone of annoyance.

Kouyuu stopped and Kagome watched his shoulders shake in frustration. His head was bent forward and his hair overshadowed his eyes. "Grrr, DAMN IT! THEY MOVED THE DEPARTMENT OF TREASURY AND TAXATION! I know it was somewhere around here!" He yelled furiously.

"Did you get lost again?"

The four turned to see another man standing behind them. "AH! The assistants! They look so adorable!" The man moved up to Shuurei and smiled, shaking her hand with both of his.

"Reishin-Sama, are you heading to the Department of Treasury and Taxation?"

Reishin turned to Kouyuu and straightened up, looking nobler than he had moments ago. He flipped a fan before his face and held it covering the bottom half of his face. "Yes, well...I was heading past it to the Public Works Department, so if you must, follow me. There is no need to make these three any later than they already are."

Kagome frowned, "That isn't fair," Shuurei, Ensei, Kouyuu and Reishin turned to Kagome. "Can you really say something like that so pretentiously?"

Shuurei's eyes widened and she placed her hand over Kagome's mouth.

Reishin closed his fan and tapped his chin with the tip of it before placing the fan beneath her chin and raising her hand, causing Shuurei's hand to fall from her mouth. "Hm, you remind me of someone..." He placed the fan to her cheek and turned her face. "Who is your father?"

"Ah, Reishin-Sama, I need to get them to the Department of Treasury and Taxation!" Kouyuu pulled Kagome away from the man and Shuurei and Ensei followed quickly behind the two running. Kagome kept up easily enough, as did Ensei, but Shuurei breathed in a sigh of relief when they finally stopped.

Kagome looked around and then behind them, she stared for a moment before she broke out into a fit of laughter.

"Huh?" Kouyuu turned to look at what was so funny and couldn't help but laugh along with her.

"Well, at least we found the place." Ensei said with his own smile. Shuurei sighed in relief.

"You're late," A deep voice called, turning their attention to a man with long raven black hair and a white mask with yellow painted around the white rice paper covered eyes, red lined the yellow of the mask before curling up, black, yellow and green accents made up a design on the mask that seemed fitting to the person who wore it, in Kagome's opinion. Ensei and Shuurei wore sweat drops on the back of their heads.

"Sorry,"

"Sorry,"

Kagome and Shuurei bowed apologetically.

"Don't let it happen again; you have a lot of work to do."

"..." Kouyuu bowed respectfully and excused himself.

"What are your names?"

"I am Kou Shuu, and this is—"

"Kou Kago, I respectfully ask that you take care of us."

"...hm," He turned and walked back inside, picking up a stack of papers as he took a seat behind his desk. "Take that stack of books to the archives and retrieve this list, then come back and sort those scrolls in the corner by date and alphabetically." He said to Shuurei who nodded.

Then he turned to Kagome and stared at her before holding out the hand with the papers in them, "You...take these letters to the Civil Affairs Department, tell the moron who wrote them, word for word, 'you must be a moron to think that these letters would pass any farther than the Department of Treasury and Taxation, rewrite them and this time have the Vice-Secretary read over them before making me waste my time on trash.' When you are done with that, there is a stack of scrolls over there that need to be separated into three groups, I'll tell you which groups when you return, now go."

Shuurei didn't need to be told twice, taking the stack of books in both hands and leaving quickly.

"..." Kagome looked at his hand with the papers with a raised brow. "Say please," She smiled mentally, 'If I'm going to be stuck doing this, I'm going to have fun with it.' Apparently he didn't agree. "Right, right." She took the papers after his silence and turned to leave, when she stopped at the door again. "I wasn't really listening to Kouyuu when he went about explaining everything, so I don't know who you are. What do I call you?"

The young man who worked with the Minister of Finance turned to the brave 'boy' asking the questions.

"Kou Kijin,"

"Kou Kijin-Sama," She smiled before turning around and leaving the speechless men in the room.

"Kei Yuuri,"

"Ah, yes?" The young man asked.

"...get back to work."

"Oh, yes sir!"

Kijin stared at the doorway for a moment before continuing his own work.

**-x-x-x-**

By the time night had fallen, Kagome had to stop herself from laughing at Ensei and Shuurei. "You act like it was hard."

"Well, Kagome...I had to help you with a couple things too, and how you managed to help those guards move those boxes into the Construction Department is beyond me."

"Yes," Ensei agreed, 'Especially with her shoulder in the shape it's in.'

"After a year with my past friends...I got used to manual labor and heavy lifting. However, what I'm not used to...is making my voice deeper just to sound like a boy. I think Kouyuu wanted us to dress like boys for his own sick enjoyment!"

"Kagome; keep it down!" Shuurei whispered.

Ensei sighed. "Look, I'm not tired with the work; I'm tired of running back and forth for a guy who hides behind a mask, coward."

"Coward?" Kagome frowned.

"Ensei, that's not polite. I don't think he's a coward, he's just...different."

'_Different? What's so odd about him? So he wears a mask, so what? I bet he's actually quite the looker; though...he'd still be quite a bit older then me.'_ Kagome laughed to herself. "I have to finish up with these files; I'll meet you guys at home." Kagome ran off as Shuurei reached out for her younger twin.

"..."

"What's wrong Princess?"

Shuurei shook her head with a smile. "Mm, nothing. I'm happy; she seems to be happy with this distraction." Shuurei frowned, _'Come to think of it, I haven't really thought about my own problems either...'_ She sighed, _'Until now,'_ she mentally whined.

Shuurei and Ensei spared one more look towards the direction Kagome had taken off in before they continued home.

**-x-x-x-**

Kagome smiled as she ran around the corner, but once out of view of Ensei and Shuurei, she slowed to a slow walk before falling to one knee.

"Damn it!" Her hand rested of her shoulder where red was just starting to seep through her clothing.

'_I thought that I would be fine, if I just held out for a while longer...' _Her head fell forward, bangs over shadowing her eyes. _'But...I guess...one days rest wasn't really enough...'_

Kagome didn't even feel the eyes of Secretary Kei on her pained form; too lost in her own thoughts to notice anything but the pain in her right shoulder. "This never would have happened had I paid attention." Her voice grew softer and heavy with fatigue. Finally, she let her form fall forward as her eyes closed and she black out in exhaustion.

**-x-x-x-**

Kijin was rarely irritated, he found no reason for such feelings, and if he was irritated, he never showed it...but at the moment...he was trying extremely hard to think up reasons why **not** to get rid of him.

"...Secretary Kei...what is the meaning of this?" He asked in annoyance; referring to the young 'boy' that laid within his secretaries arms.

"Ah...Minister Kou...Kago Kou said something strange before passing out on the way to the Department of Treasury and Taxation. Also, he seems to be deeply wounded...pretty badly." Kei explained before lying the young 'boy' on the nearest couch in Minister Kijin Kou's Mansion.

"So, you brought him here?"

"Uh, sorry sir,"

"...Mmnn, what did he say that was so strange?"

"Sir, he said, 'this never would have happened had I paid attention', and then passed out." Kei seemed to realize something just then. "Sir, please forgive me for asking you such a favor, but could you please keep an eye on him and treat his wounds?" Kei Yuuri asked, bowing low before his superior. "I just remembered the blood along the walk. I should clean it up."

"...fine..." Kijin watched Kei leave before turning back to the young 'boy' on his couch.

**-x-x-x-**

Kagome knew this feeling...soft fingers skimming against the flesh of a wound. _'This reminds me of Sango, Miroku and Sesshoumaru when they would dress my wounds.'_ Kagome's eyes fluttered open at that thought; when she opened them, she saw...

"**AHHHHHHHHHHHH~!"**

...alright, no she wasn't afraid, but she was caught off guard. She hadn't expected to wake up to the face...no...**MASK**, of Minister Kijin Kou. "What do you think you're doing!?" She asked in surprise, her voice rising with each word.

"I was wrapping your wound, and to do that, I had to remove your top."

"..." Kagome's left eye twitched, she stared at the Minister of Finance, his words ringing through her ears. She looked down and saw him holding a bandage wrap in his hands and her top open and pulled down to her waist. She could see that her wound was indeed half wrapped with the new bandaged he was holding, but still..._'That means I don't need to speak like a boy anymore, however...'_ She looked at the man who went back to bandaging her.

Kagome's mind was running a hundred miles an hour and it wasn't slowing down anytime soon. When he finished, she sat up and looked herself over. "Hmm," Her brows furrowed in concentration.

"What is it?" Kijin asked, placing the remaining bandaged.

"Could I ask a favor of you?"

"I have no intention of revealing the truth beneath your robes."

'_Even though he said it with good intentions...it still sounds so perverted.'_ Kagome blushed but then shook the thought off. "Yes well, while that's all good and well, what I wanted to ask you was something entirely different."

Kijin faced her, "..."

"..." She sighed. "Sir, with all do respect, could you...please remove your mask!?"

His hands stilled in there movements to take hold of his tea cup. "Why?"

"Truthfully, sir?" She smiled, "I just want to see who you are. Not your mask...but you..." She reached her hand up and moved it to the string in the back; her other hand, she placed on the cheek of the mask. His hand stopped hers for only a moment, but she continued to pull at the string.

Kagome watched the strings fall and lifted the mask from his face; her eyes widened and suddenly...she couldn't contain her laughter.

Kijin frowned and made to stand when she caught his sleeve and calmed her laughter. "I'm sorry, really I am." She smiled, "It's just, with all of the rumors...I expected you to be some scary, ugly or creepy man; but rather than a scary monster, I found...a human being. You're just a man...nothing to be overly dramatic about. However, indeed, you are very beautiful; I don't know why you would hide your face."

"..."

"Sir, I finished cleaning up the walk―...way..." Kei paused in his advances inside the Kijin Kou Mansion. He stared wide eyed at the scene before him. Rather than an unconscious guy, a wide awake girl; and rather than wrapping 'his'/her wounds, he saw Kago holding the Minister of Finances mask in his, er...her, hand.

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Hope you all enjoy! I'll update...either later tonight, or tomorrow night. I think I'll finish my update for When You're Strange now though. ^_^'' Please Read and Review! Sankyu!**


	5. Day Two: Emotional Breakdown

**Beneath the Blood Red Moon**

**Summary: The group has finally killed Naraku, but at a price. Many lives were killed, but Kagome's purpose was finished and she was ready to go home. However, when she gets to the well the Lady Midoriko appears, telling Kagome the truth of her origins. Midoriko sends her 'home'. Almost like a reversed life, she goes home to her father and older fraternal twin sister. With memories of the more or less 'demonic' past, and now a future with a new family she hadn't seen since she was only a baby, how will Kagome fair?**

**Anime: InuYasha/Saiunkoku Monogatari**

**Couple: Kagome/Kouyuu**

**Genre: Romance/Adventure/Historical**

**Rated: M (''^o^'')**

**-x-x-x-**

**Day Two: Emotional Breakdown!**

**-x-x-x-**

Kagome had been smiling since that morning. She was just having that kind of day. Her shoulder still hurt, and yes...it was bothersome making up an excuse for where she was last night and why it took so long to get home, and of course she still had to work and carry heavy books back and forth between the Achieves and the Ministry of Finance, including multiple other things...but she was having an absolutely wonderful day..._was_...

"Ah! If it isn't Shuu's..._younger brother_?"

Kagome turned to see Reishin standing there with his fan spread wide; hiding what she knew was a smirk, grin or Cheshire cat smile...possibly all of the above.

"Reishin-Sama...you seem to be in a particularly good mood. How many people have you fired or beheaded?" She asked with a smile.

"Such lovely words, you act as if you know me." His eyes narrowed and he stepped closer to Kagome. "Kago...I know for a fact that...Shuu does not have a brother...or sister. So do me a personal favor and think very carefully about your actions. If you try to hurt adorable Shuu-"

"You can stop there!" She said callously, "I HAVE NEVER...and WILL NEVER...have ANY intention...of bringing harm...to...Shuu!" She turned away coldly from Reishin and continued on her way to the Ministry of Finance. She passed by Kei, Shuurei and Ensei, placing the stack of books on Minister Kou's desk, she forced herself to relax before looking to the masked man. "Is there anything else you need?"

"...what happened?"

Kagome glared at Minister Kou for asking. "What happened? That Reishin actually thinks I have it out to harm..._adorable Shuu_...WHY THE NERVE!"

"K-Kago..."

"Don't Kago me! Where does he get off threatening people he doesn't even know?" She frowned and silently thought to herself. "...Hey...what did you say he asked you to call him?"

"...uh...eh...hehe, Uncle..."

"Do you have an Uncle?"

"Uh...I-I don't know. I might...I never asked my father about his family...so I wouldn't know." She frowned. "Hey, you couldn't possibly think he's actually my uncle. No way...I would have known if I had an uncle that close! Besides..." Shuurei got an evil look and chuckled cruelly. "He'd be your uncle too...!"

Kagome shivered at the look and sighed. "I wouldn't mind so much if he didn't have such a weird obsession for his adorable...Shuu."

Shuurei stuck her tongue out at Kagome who leaned against Kijin Kou's desk, waiting to be given more work. "How did you finish all of that work already? You weren't given as much as me, but still...you just started learning the Palace grounds..."

"Hm, I'm used to this kind of work...and Kijin Kou-Sama is going easy on me because of a wound. Honestly, everyone is asking me about it because of Kei-San."

"Sorry Kago," He blushed a little.

Kagome frowned and walked up to him. She poked him in the forehead and Shuurei's eyes widened. "Don't apologize! You are a secretary of considerable rank; you shouldn't apologize for something so stupid. Besides, what were you supposed to do? Lie to Assistant Secretary Kouyuu Li about why you were cleaning up blood on the floor. I don't think that would have ended too well."

"Blood?"

Kagome smiled as Shuurei, "Don't worry, bro...it's a minor wound I got while battling with mythology."

"...oh." Shuurei smiled, "I think I have read quite a few of those; the Mythology books, about dragons and wizards, demons and mikos."

"Interesting stuff, aren't they?" Kagome smiled and went to place a hand on Kijin's desk when he push a stack of papers beneath her hand and caused her to turn and see what he had given her. He didn't even tell her, wanted to see if she could guess no doubt. 'See if I'm like Shuurei...I know next to nothing about that little exam...however...I spent a couple months with Sesshoumaru, so I learned some things.' She smiled, "Should I take these to Kouyuu, and have him make the _moron_ who wrote them, rewrite them?"

Kijin nodded, "That will be all for the time being," Kagome nodded and left with a smile.

Shuurei frowned...following quickly after Kagome she held her arm in her hand. "Kagome, you aren't talking in the manlier tone you were yesterday." Shuurei whispered.

"...Kijin and Kei both know...it's pointless to pretend in front of them, but they haven't confronted you yet, so keep playing the part of a young male assistant." Kagome smiled, her voice had already turned back to the manlier version since she no longer was inside the Ministry of Finances.

Shuurei watched as Kagome left to Kouyuu with a smile in place.

**-x-x-x-**

Kouyuu just finished signing the last of the papers on his desk when another stack was gently placed on his desk. "Damn it!"

"Don't worry, Assistant Secretary Kouyuu Li, it's for the person who wrote them."

Kouyuu looked to Kagome who was walking back out. "Hey," He called out. "Are you feeling better?"

Kagome blushed and looked back to Kouyuu, "Yes...I'm feeling fine." She walked back to his desk. "I'm starting to wish you hadn't found Kei cleaning up something like that. Now every time I pass someone, they have to ask me...I mean...Kago Kou...if he's feeling okay."

"...I asked you."

"Oh! No, I wasn't referring to you, Assistant Secretary Kou-"

"Kouyuu; what you are calling me...is too long."

She smiled and laughed a little. "Sorry." She turned back to the door. "I'll take my leave."

"Do you have more work?"

"Hmm? Oh, no I don't."

"Then why are you in such a hurry to leave?"

"...I thought I was..." She paused, "I didn't want to be in your way."

"...You see, this is why woman are idiots." He sighed. Turning to Kagome, he would have continued but... _"...damn it..."_

"Talking to yourself?"

"Shuuei..." Kouyuu looked to the older man whom had dubbed him his friend upon their first meeting six years ago. "I'm really stupid when it comes to girls."

"If you mean you say dumb things that are normally hurtful to woman...than yes, you are."

Kouyuu clenched his fists and tried hard not to yell.

"So...not only are you horrible with directions and easily irritable, but you are also mean towards woman. That isn't going to get you a wife."

"**Grr...WHO SAID I WANTED ONE!"**

"Calm down Kouyuu...what brought up the confession?"

"..." Kouyuu ignored him and went to his desk, taking the papers Kagome had placed on his desk, he read over them before sighing and grabbing some paper to do it over on.

"You won't feel any better if you don't tell someone about your hardships, or maybe what you need is physical comfort, rather than verbal comfort."

"**DAMN IT SHUUEI! WILL YOU SHUT UP!"**

Shuuei tilted his head and avoided the book Kouyuu threw. He smiled, "At least you said something."

It dawned on Kouyuu what the purpose of that statement was. He sighed, "I just said something...upsetting...to Shuurei's sister."

"**Ah!"**

"Huh?" Shuuei and Kouyuu turned to see Reishin standing with a look of shock and regret on his face.

"Lord Reishin...?" Shuuei called out, "Is something wrong?"

"...Ka-Kago is...Kagome?"

"..." The two exchanged looks.

"**ANSWER ME!"**

"Ah! Yes, she came back home from some kind of journey just a little while ago."

"...I see," Reishin flipped his fan open and held it over a true smile. "If you will excuse me, I have somewhere I need to be."

"Uh...o-okay." Kouyuu watched his adoptive father walk away. "That _wasn't_ normal."

"...no, I don't think it was." Shuuei agreed.

**-x-x-x-**

Kagome sat on top of the Ministry of Finance's. Shuurei and Ensei had left to visit Shouka in the Archives and Kagome decided to take her break basking in the sun instead of following them.

"Kijin!"

Kagome opened her eyes and looked down to see Reishin running up to the Ministry of Finance.

"Hmm?" Kijin sat up from where he lay resting.

"Kijin! It's brother's daughter!"

Kagome's eyes widened.

"Yes, I am aware. Shuurei Kou."

"Ah! See, you didn't know! I was talking about my precious Kaggie!"

'_K-Kaggie?'_ Kagome wanted to walk up to that man and beat him down a few notches. _'He's too much...'_

"...who?"

"Oh, I never told you because she had been taken as an infant by some transparent woman."

Kagome had a sweat drop on the back of her head.

"...I can understand why you would keep that to yourself."

"I have two nieces now! Both are beautiful and intelligent!"

"...didn't you threaten Kago, the youngest of your nieces?"

"Ah...!"

"And you haven't even told Shuurei, much less Kago, that you are their uncle."

"...uh..."

"Putting that aside, it may be a good idea to keep your tale of the transparent kidnapper to yourself; unless you want to be placed under lock and key for your own mental health."

"...so mean..."

Kagome sighed before lying back down and letting sleep take her.

"Oh, I was curious about this, but how did Kei find out that she was wounded?"

"He found her bleeding in the walkway. He brought her to me and I wrapped the wound."

"...where was she wounded?"

Kagome smirked, she knew what was going through her _'uncles'_ mind.

"Her right shoulder."

"And...how did you wrap her wound?"

Kagome moved so that she was looking in at the two from the doorway; her head and fingers were all that were visible by Kijin who was staring past Reishin and to her. She smiled and gave an evil grin before giving a nod of permission to him.

"I removed her top,"

"..."

Kagome watched as her uncle lost all will power to continue standing and fell to his knees, his fan lying forgotten on the floor. "So...you knew..."

"Since last night."

"And you have seen..."

The two stared at each other while Kagome continued hanging upside down and watching. "...enough..."

"YOU MONSTER! HOW COULD YOU TAKE ADVANTAGE OF MY LITTLE KAGGIE!"

"Your little Kaggie? Does she know you're her uncle?"

"..." Reishin let his head fall forward in defeat. Finally, Kagome couldn't control her laughter any longer, drawing the attention of the two older men. Her eyes widened as she lost her grip and started tumbling forward.

"Ah! Kagome~!"

"**Mmph!"**

The two stared at the spectacle in front of them, Reishin a little closer having moved to catch her, and Kijin who merely stood still and watched how it would progress.

"Oww! You wanna get off of me!" Kouyuu laid on his stomach whereas Kagome was sitting on his back with her legs beneath her, staring dizzily ahead of her.

She snapped out of her daze and looked down, "Kouyuu!" Kagome blushed, and removed herself from the boy and ran behind Kijin who turned his face to her but said nothing.

Kouyuu stood up irritated and brushed off the invisible dirt on his light teal blue clothes before picking up the papers that had been knocked out of his hands and turning to Kijin who silently took the papers from him.

Kagome stood behind Kijin, leaning her back against his, almost as if her were a wall. She had her arms crossed over her chest and her cheeks were still tinted pink.

"...Kago,"

"..." She jumped up a little so that she was hanging off of Kijin, her head propped on his shoulder as she looked at Kouyuu who surprised them by bowing.

"I'm sorry for my earlier comment. Had you let me finish, I was going to say, 'You are more insightful and intelligent than other woman, which is why I don't mind the company.' I never meant to hurt you." He stood straight again and left, his cheeks flushed with embarrassment and frustration. Kagome stared in awe, sliding down Kijin's back, she didn't even realize her hands were fisted in his robes, or that she was trembling.

"...Kagome?" Her uncle walked up to her and gently pried her hands from his friends' clothes. It just so happened that his clothes were the only things holding her up. The second she released them, her knees gave out and she fell. Reishin went down with her, his hands on her shoulders as Kijin turned around and got on one knee before her too. The two looked worriedly at her; though, Reishin only assumed Kijin was looking at her in worry. With the masked man, it was a little harder to determine.

"...He...surprised me..." Her eyes were overshadowed by her bangs. "I...when I met Kouyuu-San...he reminded me...a lot of someone I cared for. It hurt when he said all women were idiots..."

"That boy!" Reishin went to stand, but her hand caught his sleeve.

"...d-don't...it's not what he said...it's..." Tears swarmed her vision as she let her head fall forward. "He reminded me of him...when he said it...I...I c-couldn't help but see...him..." She cried, falling forward into Reishin's arms, he held her as she cried. "He always said things without thinking, and...and he was temperamental...sometimes he could be so rude...but...but he swore to protect me, and was always there for me, when I was sad, or needed help!" Her tears wouldn't stop, and the two didn't know what to do. Kijin was now sitting on the floor, rubbing soothing circles on her shoulders and back while Reishin held her close and let her cry in his arms.

"Who...Kagome..."

"..." She stopped crying, her heart stopping momentarily. "I-Inu...Yasha, InuYasha...I couldn't save him...I couldn't...save..._him_..." Her eyes fell shut as her worn out body gave into stress and sleep took her.

"..." Kijin picked her up and handed her to Reishin once he stood up.

"I will take her to Shouka where she can rest in the Imperial Archives, avoid sending Shuurei or Ensei over there, understand."

"Is that an order?" Kijin questioned.

"It's a request; one I'd advise you agree to."

"Hm, go...I will keep the two occupied here."

"Good,"

Reishin left Kijin alone in the room. He lay back down and continued resting. It wasn't even ten minutes later that Shuurei and Ensei came back from his break, leaving Kijin no time for his earlier, much wanted, nap.

"Kago isn't here yet?"

Kijin shook his head. "He is busy with another task I sat out for him. He will be back later."

"Oh, okay."

He watched the two get back to work and sighed. The day was only half over, and already he was tired.

'_It can only get better...or that's what they say...'_

**-x-x-x-**

**Me: Hope everyone enjoyed! Please leave comments and review! SANKYU! ^_^''**


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